


The Party

by squidgie



Series: The Party [1]
Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-09
Updated: 2011-11-09
Packaged: 2017-10-25 22:29:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/275538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/squidgie/pseuds/squidgie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been raining on Atlantis, the expedition is in quarantine, Woolsey throws a party, and John is grumpy</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Party

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed.  Written while I was waiting for access this morning.  When I saw the SGA Saturday prompt for "Rain", this popped into my head.  Since it's amnesty week, figure I'll post it.  Also, I've wanted to write a story about Tony Bennett and Amy Winehouse's duet of 'Body and Soul' ever since the song came out - and still might write another one in the H50 McDanno fandom.  Also, I know the word "duetting" is made more for two animals who are using it as mating calls, not two people singing a song (as per 2 definitions I read), but it just sounds good.

The rain bombards the windows of Atlantis mercilessly, as it had for the more than a week, without an end in sight.  Even Rodney McKay, who would rather be spending his time in a lab rather than outdoors, had started to go stir crazy.  What made the situation worse was that the inhabitants of the city weren't even allowed to go off-world, due to a sudden case of scarlet fever that emerged after the last Daedalus run.  Ronon and Sheppard weren't doing their normal outdoor runs, the Botanist group was crabby because their new greenhouse seemed to be wasted without even a single sliver of sunlight in almost a week, and even Woolsey had taken to pacing Atlantis' control room (much to Chuck's frustration; he'd nearly taken up flinging rubber bands at the man, though months ago Rodney and John had confiscated every last rubber band on Atlantis for " _personal_ _use_ " during senior staff meetings).

Woolsey's voice booms through the PA system late in the afternoon of the eleventh day, making an unannounced proclamation to the expedition.  "Attention all Atlantis personnel.  This is Richard Woolsey.  I understand the frustration with our mandatory quarantine, and the weather doesn't seem to be cooperating either.  Therefore, I am announcing mandatory break-time for all staff and military for an impromptu social in the mess starting at 15:00 hours.  This will continue through 03:00 hours tomorrow morning, so that everyone will have a chance to participate.  Essential personnel will manage their station switch-off with a counterpart so that they are available for at least three hours for this gathering."  After a slight pause, Woolsey adds, "And I have taken the liberty to confiscate Radek Zelenka's still for this party; or at least the scotch-like product of the distillation process.  It, as well as a private stash that the IOA has provided for just such an occasion, will be available.  That is all." 

The mood on Atlantis instantly escalates, as evidenced by the plethora of smiles that seemed to overtake everyone's faces.  Rodney even stops scowling at his staff, if only for a few minutes, though he is concerned at the constant muttering in Czech coming from Zelenka at the loss of his coveted (and highly valuable black market) product. 

As Rodney finishes running some simulations, he notices it's after 15:00 hours, and by the sounds coming from the hallway, the party seems to be in full swing, so he leaves the lab and joins the group.  Immediately upon entering, he notices music playing overhead and spots Woolsey, (who's changed out of his work outfit to a suit, which he refers to as his "relaxing clothes") chatting with various members of the expedition.  Ronon is mingling with the Marines around a makeshift keg that someone seems to have been put together, with the Marines trying to talk the Satedan into doing a "kegstand" (which he finally does, though it takes four Marines to hold him up.  His kegstand leads to the single injury of the party when one of the knives falls from his hair, surgically slicing into a Marine's leg).  Lorne is alternating his attention between the Marine's drinking game and his partner, David Parrish, though Parrish wins out as he threads their fingers together and presses a quick kiss into the officer's shoulder.  Teyla is with Keller and Katy Brown, all three seeming to be in their own little world.

The one person missing is the one person Rodney wants to see - John Sheppard.

After a few inquiries, Rodney makes his way to John's office, though he knows the man is hardly ever there, and finds it empty.  He checks a few more places (the armory, the gym, their shared quarters), then heads to Sheppard's old room, hoping to find the man there.

The door is locked, so he signals a couple of times, never getting an answer.  He disappears to find a lifesigns detector and comes back, confirming someone _is_ in the room, so he removes the panel next to the door and switches two crystals, the door sweeping open a second later.

"Colonel," he calls as he enters, then sees a lump hidden under the covers.  Assuming it's Sheppard, he moves to the side of the bed, poking him with a finger.

"Oww..." the lump calls out.  A moment later, the covers are flung back, and Rodney can almost feel the daggers being thrown at him from Sheppard's look.  " _God_ _damn it,_ Rodney!" John scowls.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Rodney sits on the side of the bed.  "You _know_ there's a party going on, right?" he asks.

John leans back into his pillow, voice muffled a bit as he complains like a petulant child.  "Don't care."

Rodney sighs, having seen the dark cloud develop and grow over his partner for the last few days of their forced isolation.  "There's beer," he offers.

John just looks at him and points to his mini-fridge.  "Beer in there, too," he counters.

"We could watch a movie," he offers, the look on John's face in reply reminding him that they'd watched all the new movies - some of them twice - since the lockdown began.

With another sign, Rodney starts to pull out the big guns.  "We could go make out in the jumpers," he says, eyebrows showing how playful he is.

Sheppard raises up and it almost appears as if there's a silver lining in his storm cloud, though his smile is short.  "Yeah, but we couldn't take the jumper out."  Faceplanting back into his pillow, he says, "What's the point?"

'This is serious,' Rodney thinks.  Making out in the jumper _always_ worked in the past.  Thinking quickly, he rises to his feet and says, " _Fine_ ," then gets up to leave.  He glances back, John watching him as he gets to the door, then exits the room, a look of determination plastered on his face.

Fifteen minutes later, Rodney barges back into Sheppard's room - arms loaded with items - finding the man still curled around his pillow, and the ever-present stormcloud hovering over his head.  Rodney puts the belongings on the nearby desk, then sits with the man.  "What's all that?" John asks.

Rodney leans over and grabs the bottle of Zelenka's hooch and two Canadian beers.  "Which do you want first?" he asks.

John finally sits up, quickly getting out of his bed.  Rodney's almost afraid he's going to leave, but watches John instead go to a bookcase near his door, coming back with two shot glasses. "Hooch first, I guess" he says, pouring two tumblers out.

Both men dispatch the strong alcohol, grimaces plastering on their faces at the after-burn that climbs their throat.  John leans over, quickly claiming his partner's mouth.  "Thanks, Rodney," he offers sheepishly.  He knows he's not been the most pleasant person to be around, and he certainly shouldn't be taking it out on his partner.

"Oh it's not over yet," Rodney says.  He hits a few keys on the laptop, and suddenly the screen is filled with the sights and sounds of the party.  "You don't want to go, so I thought..." he says, gesturing to the laptop.  He passes Sheppard a beer, and they watch their coworkers as the camera pans around the room.  Ronon is passed out on a table, Teyla, Keller, and Katy are all ogling Marines (John swears he hears Katy whistling and cat-calling, though he's not 100% sure it's her, one of the other two, or a combination of all three women), and Parrish and Lorne are making out in a back corner. 

As the camera pans to one side, John notices a group of people slow-dancing in an area where the tables used to be, though he can't tell what the music is since it's mostly overpowered by the voices in the room.  "What is that?" John asks.

After leaning in and listening, Rodney shakes his head, unable to identify it.  Not one to give up, he taps on a few keys and within 90 seconds (and a few ingenious hacks), the music starts to stream from the overhead speaker in John's room, Rodney feeding it in from the computer-cum-jukebox that was installed in the mess for the party.  A few seconds later, the pair recognizes the singers as Tony Bennett and Michael Bublé duetting a swing rendition of the song, 'Don't Get Around Much Anymore'.  "I didn't know we got the new Tony Bennett album," John says.

Rodney gives John a look.  " _You_ like Tony Bennett?" he asks, a tone of incredulity in his voice.  "I thought... You know...  With the hair bands and hard rock and stuff," which just makes John roll his eyes.

"I like a lot of stuff," John says, then leans in to claim a quick kiss, then wraps his hand around Rodney's twining their fingers together, thinking how he could spend an eternity teaching Rodney everything he likes and still not have enough time.  He smiles at his partner as the song finishes, quickly followed by the next song that starts with a piano, light drum, and quiet string section.  Tony Bennett's voice joins in moments later, the unmistakable lyrics of the song 'Body and Soul' coming through the speaker.

John gives Rodney another quick smile, then pulls his hand up, dropping a kiss on Rodney's palm as Amy Winehouse's voice follows Bennett's, deep and soulful, John shutting his eyes for a moment, letting the lyrics pour over him.  He takes a breath, then stands, pulling Rodney up with him, though never letting go of his hand.

"Colonel?" Rodney asks, followed by a "John?" a moment later as John pulls them together.  John puts one arm on Rodney's back, extending their still-entwined fingers out and gently starts to sway to the beat.

Rodney pulls back, head cocked at an angle but smiling at John.  John just grins back, pulling him into a quick kiss, then leaning his head against Rodney's, as the pair slow dance to the music.

Too soon the song ends, though it's followed by another slow-tempoed one, so John doesn't let go of Rodney.  Instead he keeps his hold tight, and the two share the moment, dancing as the rain pelts the windows in an untimed beat.  They finally break on the third song that starts with a big-band beat and grin at each other like teenagers.  "Thanks," Rodney says, then claims a kiss from his partner.

"You wanna go make out in the jumpers now?" John asks, and moments later, the pair leaves the confines of John's room, hand in hand.  



End file.
